Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to two charges of making false statements to lawmakers and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
His lawyer entered the plea on his behalf in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday morning.
Patrick Fitzgerald said he would seek to have the case dismissed for several reasons including that his client, a critic of US President Donald Trump, was being targeted.
Mr. Comey was indicted a few days after Trump urged his attorney general to take action against him. After Mr. Comey's lawyer requested a speedy trial, the judge set a date of January 5.
Both the prosecution and defense expected the trial to last just two or three days.
In court on Wednesday, Mr. Comey's lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald told the judge that they planned to file several motions to dismiss the case before a trial, arguing that the prosecution was vindictive and that a US attorney had been unlawfully appointed to take over the case.
Mr. Comey was fired as FBI director in 2017, approximately four months into Trump's first term as president. At that time, Mr. Comey had been leading an investigation into Russian election interference and potential links between Moscow and Trump's campaign.
The federal government alleges Mr. Comey lied to Congress during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in September 2020, when he was questioned about both the Russia election probe and an investigation into Trump's 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.
He told the hearing that he had not authorized someone at the FBI to leak information about the investigations - a statement that the Justice Department alleges was untrue and misleading.
Prosecutors also accuse Mr. Comey of corruptly endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the panel by making false statements to it.
Mr. Comey's case was originally supervised by Erik Siebert, a Virginia prosecutor who resigned under pressure from Trump after failing to bring criminal charges against another political adversary - New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump appointed Lindsey Halligan to replace him, who swiftly secured a grand jury indictment against Mr. Comey less than a week into her appointment. Previous prosecutors had declined to pursue the case due to insufficient evidence.
Mr. Comey appeared in good spirits as he entered the courtroom on Wednesday, chatting with his attorneys and making jokes. He was joined by his wife, Patrice Failor, and daughter Maureen Comey, a federal prosecutor who was recently fired by the Trump administration.
After listening to the judge read his rights and the charges against him, Mr. Comey confirmed his understanding by saying, I do, your honor. Thank you very much.
US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff noted that the two charges each carry a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.
Defense lawyers raised concerns about not having access to classified documents that prosecutors intended to present as evidence. Judge Nachmanoff warned the government that delays in the case would not be tolerated.
During his term as FBI director, Mr. Comey faced backlash from Democrats when he announced the investigation into Clinton's emails shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Charges against Clinton were not pursued, leading to criticism from Republicans as well.
Since leaving government, Mr. Comey has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration. In a video posted on his Instagram following the indictment, he asserted his innocence and accused Trump of acting like a tyrant.
He stated, My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump. We will not live on our knees.
I'm innocent, he added, encouraging a trial.
The charges against Mr. Comey emerged shortly after Trump urged his attorney general to prosecute him and others on social media.
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